Winding drum and the like



2 9 F. H. HOGE ET-AL WINDING DRUM AND THE LIKE Original Filed May 11, 1940 Inve n+0 1"5 Federlck H. Hcgea Jose hvA lqn Patented Oct. 20, 1942 WINDING DRUM AND THE LIKE Frederick H. Hoge, Oak Park, and Joseph A. Marland, La Grange, Ill., assignor to W. A. Jones Foundry & Machine Company, Chicago, Ill.,-a corporation of Illinois Original application May 11, 1940, Serial No.

334.544. Divided and this application November 14, 1941, Serial No. 419,100

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in winding drums and the like. These winding drums are intended for the winding of cables or ropes such as are used in connection with the opening and closing of doors and for similar purposes. As illustrative of one application of the present invention we may mention the case of the doors of refractory furnaces and the like, wherein the doors are generally raised for opening, and are lowered for closing operations. Frequently such doors are grouted or otherwise sealed when closed, in order to lessen the loss of heat and to prevent leakage of gases, etc.; and during the subsequent opening or raising operation it is not only necessary to raise the considerable mass of the door itself, but also it is necessary to break such seal at the commencement of the raising" operation. Furthermore, the commencement of the raising operation shouldbe effected with a slow movement but with exertion of large force, so that the opening movement will be effected with perfect control, and without serious jar to the parts, so that unnecessary damage to the refractory parts will be avoided. Still it is desirable to make use of a drum arrangementfor winding the lifting cable or cables in such manner as to secure the above desirable results.

We have found that a very desirable and effective means to secure the above results consists in the provision of a circular or substantially circular drum or drums, mounted for rotation about a shaft or other support, and placed eccentrically thereon, and with the parts so arranged that at the commencement of the lifting operation the cable or cables lie tangential to the drum or drums at the radius of minimum amount, thereby securing the maximum of mechanical advantage at the commencement of the operation. Then, as the drum rotation proceeds the radius on which the cable or cables wind will increase until the maximum radius is attained. Thereby we are able to exert the maximum and slowest pull at the commencement of the operation, combined with the advantage of a more rapid operation during later stages of the lift, at which time, also, the force needed to merely raise the door will be of smaller amount.

Now, with a circular drum the variation between Winding radius at commencement of such an operation and winding radius at the position of maximum rate of lift, will be greatest when the eccentricity'of drum mounting is greatest, compatible with a drum of given diameter; that is, for example, with a drum of nine inches radius, or eighteen inches diameter, the maximum eccentricity possible would be n'ine'inches, and it might be of any amount less than such amount to zero, when the drum is mounted concentrically. With such an arrangement as just mentioned, the effective radius of pull on the cable or cables would vary from zero at the commencement of the operation, to eighteen inches when a half rotation of the drum had been efiected. Or again, if we assume the case of a drum of nine inches radius, or eighteen inches diameter, and with an eccentricity of six inches, the effective radius would vary from three inches at the commencement of the operation to fifteen inches at the half rotation position. Or again, if we assume the case of a drum of nine inches radius, or eighteen inches diameter, and with an eccentricity of four and one-half inches, the effective radius would vary from four and one-half inches at the commencement of the operation to thirteen and one-half inches at the half rotation position. Or again, if we assume the case of a drum of nine inches radius, or eighteen inches diameter, and with an eccentricity of three inches, the effective radius would Vary from six inches at the commencement of the operation to twelve inches at the half r0- tation position. In each case the possible effective pull at the commencement of the operation will be inversely proportional to the radius at such time, so it is evident that by chang-' ing the eccentricity of the drum we are able to largely vary the pull which will be available at the commencement of the operation, as well as the rate at which such pull will be exerted. In fact, the greater the eccentricity, the'smaller the effective radius and the greater the possible pull on the cable or cables, assuming a given turning efiort or torque is available to rotate the drum. It will be noted, however, that in all cases the total wind on the drum Will be the same, for a drum of given diameter, since such total wind will always be equal to one-half the drum circumference in the case of an arrangement wherein the operation is completed at the half-rotation position. In the case of a rotation continued past the half-rotation position, for example, to the full rotation position, it is evident that the total wind will in any case be proportional to the arc of drum rotation, and that the degree of eccentricity adopted will not affect the amount of wind, but merely the distribution of torque variation and also the distribution of rate of wind.

We have found that it is frequently desirable to be able to change a given installation from time to time, so as to make possible the change of effective pull and rate of wind of such installation, without however changing the total amount of wind; that is, for a given installation wherein the total door lift is fixed or pre-determined, it is frequently desirable to be able to change the installation to either increase or decrease the effective pull with inverse change of the rate of draw at the commencement of the operation, and still secure the same total amount of cable travel for a given amount of drum rotation. Or again, it is desirable to be able to install drums of a given standard form and construction in installations of varying specifications, and to meet various requirements of such installations, thereby reducing the number of sizes and specifications of drums which must be carried in stock to meet all such varying conditions of installations.

We have therefore provided as a new article of manufacture a construction of drum for such service, and which drum is provided with two or more means for attachment to the driving shaft, and located at different positions of eccentricity, so that the drum may be set onto or secured to the shaft in either of the positions of eccentricity as selected.

We have furthermore, as a further feature and object of our present invention, provided the drum with a hub portion which is of such form and arrangement and size that it accommodates all the several attaching means of different eccentricities, thereby providing a drum of great strength and rigidity, and still one which is capable of use with the selected degree of eccentricity chosen from time to time, or for the particular installation in question.

This application is a division of our co-pending application for patent on improvements in door openers and closers, and the like, Serial No. 334,544.

Although in the drawing we have shown a construction including a spiral grooving It in its winding surface, still it will be evident that in many cases a plain circular groove may be satisfactory, as for example, when the winding and unwinding operations include not more than a single complete rotation of the drum; or in other cases the grooving may be completely omitted. Therefore, we contemplate as being within the scope of the protection afforded us arrangements including either plain drums without scoring, or drums having scorings or grooves, either spiral or straight.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows a face view of a drum embodying the features of our present invention, and provided with three openings for shaft accommodation, located at three different degrees of cocentricity, all of said openings being for accommodation of a driving shaft or stem of the same size and kind;

Figure 2 shows a vertical section through the drum of Figure 1, taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and it shows a typical driving shaft or stem in place in one of the openings of the drum;

Figure 3 shows a back face view corresponding to Figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 4 shows an edge View of the drum of Figures 1, 2, and 3.

In the drawing, the drum is designated in its entirety by the numeral ID. It includes the hub portion H, the flange or peripheral portion I2,

and the several arms or spiders I3. These arms or spiders constitute in effect a portion of the hub, since the hub really occupies the major portion of the space within the flange or peripheral portion of the drum. Preferably the flange portion I2 is provided with the edge flanges l4 and I5, and with the grooves i6 for the cable 7 or cables to be accommodated, but such features are largely optional with the designer. In the form shown the groove I6 is spiralled around the drum surface so as to accommodate the cable for several complete turns of the drum 'during winding; but it will be noted that during each complete drum rotation the eccentricity passes from a minimum to a maximum amount, and then back to the minimum amount at the completion of the rotation. Still, insofar as concerns the effects of amount and rate of pull at the commencement of the operation, and variation thereof during the first half of the rotation, the functions hereinbefore explained fully prevail.

The hub portion H is provided with three openings ll, l8 and IQ of identical form and size for accommodation of the end portion 20 of the driving and supporting shaft; and in the form shown these openings are tapered to correspond with the taper of the shaft, so that a very tight and effective mounting and drive for the drum is afforded. Furthermore, each opening is preferably provided with a key notch 2| to receive the driving key whereby the drum may be drivingly connected to the shaft for any of the openings which may be selected ac cording to the eccentricity desired, and the shaft is provided with a corresponding key-way to receive the said key. Preferably the drum is drawn tightly onto the shaft and held in position by the nut 22 as shown.

Now it may be noted that the body or hub portion of the drum constitutes in effect a solid central mass or hub of the drum, and is preferably connected to the flange portion of the drum by the relatively thin web section 23. Still, the winding flange portion I2 lies directly over the position of the shaft and hub portion, so that the stresses are transmitted to the shaft without lateral twist being exerted on the parts, and in direct manner.

It may be noted that we contemplate as being within the scope of our invention drums having two or more means for attachment to the rotatable supporting member, so that more than one degree of eccentricity may be effected, said eccentricity being at some degree between the full radius of the drum, and zero, and the drum being preferably of circular form in its winding surface. Nevertheless, it is noted that sometimes the winding surface of the drum may be other than circular, since slight variations of such contour are to be expected in normal manufacturing processes.

We claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a drum for the purpose specified, comprising a cylindrical drum, there being a plurality of shaft receiving openings in the body of the drum, said openings being located at different positions of eccentricity with respect to the transverse axis of the drum cylinder, substantially as described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a drum for the purpose specified, comprising a circular cylindrical drum flange for winding a cable or the like, a hub element in conjunction with said flange, and of axial length substantially equal to the axial length of the flange, means to connect the flange and hub elements rigidly together, together with means to support and drive the said hub element comprising a series of axially extending shaft receiving openings in the hub element, all said openings being eccentrically located with respect to the axial center of the drum flange, and said openings being located at different degrees of eccentricity with respect to the axial center of the drum flange, whereby a driving and supporting shaft may be located in a selected one of said openings as pre-selected, to thereby support and drive the drum flange element with a pre-selected degree of eccentricity with respect to the center of rotation thereof, all said shaft receiving openings being located between the axial center of the drum flange and the peripheral surface of said flange, substantially as described.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a drum for the purpose specified, comprising a circular cylindrical drum flange for winding a cable or the like, a hub element in conjunction with said flange, and of axial length substantially equal to the axial length of the flange, means to connect the flange and hub elements rigidly together, together with means to support and drive the said hub element comprising a series of axially extending shaft receiving openings in the hub element, all said openings being eccentrically located with respect to the axial center of the drum flange, and said openings being located at different degrees of eccentricity with respect to the axial center of the drum flange, whereby a driving and supporting shaft may be located in a selected one of said openings as pre-selected, to thereby support and drive the drum flange element with a pre-selected degree of eccentricity with respect to the center of rotation thereof, substantially as described.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a drum for the purpose specified, comprising a circular cylindrical drum flange for winding a cable or the like, a hub element in conjunction with said flange, means to connect the flange and hub elements rigidly together, together with means to support and drive said hub element comprising a series of axially extending shaft receiving openings in the hub element, all said openings being of identical form and size and adapted for reception of a specified shaft section, and all said openings being eccentrically located with respect to the axial center of the drum flange and being located at different degrees of eccentricity with respect to the axial center of.the drum flange, whereby a specified driving and supporting shaft section may be located and secured within a preselected one of said openings according to the pre-selected degree of eccentricity of support and drive as desired, substantially as described.

FREDERICK H, HOGE. JOSEPH A. MARLAND. 

